Nyumba ntobhu (meaning "house without a man") is a traditional form of non-sexual same-sex union among Kuria women of the Mara Region of Tanzania and Kenya ; the partnerships are formed between older, usually widowed women without male descendants and younger, childless women, known as mokamööna (daughters-in-law).[1][2] As part of the relationship, the younger mokamööna bears a child from an external male partner. The elder woman serves as a grandmother to the resulting child, thus securing her with an heir and ensuring the continuation of her lineage.[3][4] Nyumba ntobhu marriages, like traditional Kuira marriages, are secured through the payment of a bride price in the form of cattle; in the case of nyumba ntobhu relationships, the bride price is provided by the older woman to the family of the younger partner.[1]
Among the Kuira, nyumba ntobhu couples make up an estimated 10 to 15 percent of households.[5]
Nyumba ntobhu relationships have become increasingly common within recent years. Many younger Kuira women enter the relationships as a means of gaining increased agency in choosing their sexual partners and avoiding domestic abuse and female genital mutilation.[5][6]
References
edit- ^ a b Sikira, A. N. (2012). "Women to women marriages (nyumba nthobhu): Violence among infertile women in Mara region, Tanzania". Tanzania Journal of Development Studies. 12. Archived from the original on 2020-02-15. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
- ^ "Straight women in Tanzania are getting married to keep their houses". The Independent. 2016-07-29. Archived from the original on 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
- ^ Tsjeng, Zing; Martinez, Marta (2018-10-24). "Straight Women Are Marrying Each Other for Safety in Tanzania". Broadly. Archived from the original on 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
- ^ Interpersonal violence: differences and connections. Husso, Marita. Abingdon, Oxon: Taylor & Francis. 25 November 2016. ISBN 9781315638393. OCLC 960906146. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b Shoemaker, Charlie (2016-07-25). "Why Straight Women Are Marrying Each Other". Marie Claire. Archived from the original on 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
- ^ Thomas, June (2013-09-04). "In Tanzania, a Different Kind of Same-Sex Marriage". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-02-20. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
 | This Tanzania-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |